Green business Baptist strives to reduce footprint

Baptist Memphis security guards Wayne Brown (left) and Will Wadley are looking forward to using the new electric vehicles.

Working together as a team, physicians, staff and patients are providing green solutions for Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis. According to HealthGrades, a national, independent health care ratings company, health care organizations across the country are investing in going green and reaping the benefits for their patients, employees and communities. The green initiatives can be as simple as altering a patient room discharge process to upgrading visitor courtesy vans and security vehicles.

"At Baptist Memphis, especially as a community neighbor to Shelby Farms Park, we want to reduce our footprint," said Lindsay Stencel, assistant administrator at Baptist Memphis.

Several changes were made to the lighting at the hospital.

Baptist Memphis made the switch inside the hospital and in garages and parking lot poles from fluorescent lights to more energy-efficient lights. Solar-powered panels were installed in the plant operation building to supplement energy. The outdoor lights were updated to photo cell lights, which use less light, and are more efficient and require less maintenance.

For every 1,000 kilowatts you save by turning things off, you save an average of $100 on your utility bill. Baptist Memphis has changed a simple patient room discharge process requiring staff to close the window blinds, set the temperature to 70 degrees, and turn off lights and the television.

Changes have been made to decrease waste in the cafeteria. Utensil and napkin dispensers were installed to help minimize trash.

In an effort to conserve paper, certain daily reports are no longer printed.

As the eco-friendly car movement has taken the automobile industry by storm, Baptist Memphis has ordered two electric shuttle vans for visitor and patient transportation. The hospital has also ordered two electric vehicles for campus patrol.

"As health care providers, we strive to care for our patients in the most efficient, effective ways possible," said Dr. William Russo of Stern Cardiovascular Foundation and Baptist Memphis physician leader for green efforts. "We will continue to look for opportunities to remain environmentally friendly."

The Baptist Memphis campus includes the 706-bed hospital that is the flagship of the Baptist Memorial Health Care system. It serves as a major referral center for patients from across the Mid-South and offers many diagnostic, surgical and rehabilitation services. Consumers have rated Baptist Memphis their most preferred hospital for overall health care services in an independent National Research Corp. poll for the past 16 years in a row, and according to HealthGrades in 2011, Baptist Memphis ranks in the top 5 percent nationally for emergency medicine and women's health and in the top 10 percent for cardiac surgery.

Ashley Compton is a senior public relations coordinator for corporate communications at Baptist Memorial Health Care.